I learned something new about myself this weekend: I am part of the LOHAS.

LOHAS is a demographic representing “Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability” whose core consumer group are the “Cultural Creatives” of this world. I’m not kidding. If you’re slightly amused, these are new and hilarious terms to me, too. And these labels are exactly why my mother wears a befuddled expression when she begins sentences with “I just don’t understand why your generation ______________.”.

However, I also learned that, according to the WorldWatch Institute, in 2006, this market segment represented 30%, or almost $300 billion, of the US consumer market, and it is growing. What is also relevant and significant is the behavior of the LOHAS: Members of the LOHAS demographic choose to purchase products that are not only of high-quality, but are also considered to be sustainable and virtuous.

Today, I implement the soft launch of my start-up food business, Music City mise. Music City mise takes on big issues like food and time waste, nutrition and health, and wholly supports the local food movement. We provide custom dinner kits and accessible, online cooking guides for the Nashville home cook. All of the ingredients in the kits are prepped and portioned and sourced, as much as possible, in the local area. Each dinner kit can be customized to your diet-type: vegetarian, vegan, paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free: you name it. You can purchase these kits on an individual basis, commitment-free, or you can sign up for a subscription service for 1-5 meals per week.

Because the local food movement is, by nature, a collaboration of farmers, food service providers, and consumers, community building is a fundamental goal of ours. If you are interested in joining the local food movement and learning classic culinary techniques in an accessible, fun and low-key format, you can purchase a monthly membership. This membership gives you access to our cooking guide, with professional instruction via short video clips, photos, written instruction on how to cook your meal and why you cook it that way. Our goal is to cultivate each customer’s unique cooking style, to trust their palate and prepare delicious, wholesome meals to nurture themselves and their loved ones. Another perk of the mise membership is the opportunity to receive exclusive invitations to family-style dinners and potlucks, where you can get to know other members of the mise community in Nashville.

Fox News reported that an average household loses between $1,350 and $2,275 a year in food waste. That’s a whole vacation! A nice one! Even if you do not identify with the LOHAS, Music City mise is an alternative to avoiding the frustration of time and food waste. There are few things more disappointing than spending too much time and money on an unsatisfying dinner.

With Music City mise, you can enjoy time with your family, cooking together and eating, gathered around your dinner table.

“We all eat, and it would be a sad waste of opportunity to eat badly,” mused Anna Thomas, author of The Vegetarian Epicure. Invest your time and money wisely in order to enjoy satisfying, balanced and wholesome meals.

Music City mise dinner kits and membership will be available for purchase in November.